Intermediate bearing construction



Aug. 16, 1932. yA. R. wEls INTERMEDIATE BEARING CONSTRUCTIN Filed NOV. 8, 1929 [NU Toe: ,4er/40e E wir Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES lPATNT OFFICE ARTHUR R. WEIs, 'OF HUNTINGTONPAR-x, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNOR OF ONE-HALF To :PACIFIC PUMP WORKS, or HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION F CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. BIGELOW, 0F VI IUNTING'TON' IEARKyCAIILI- FORNIA INTERMEIIIATE BEARING CorrszrRUCTIorrl My invention relates to bearings, and more particularly to a novel bearing construction which linds-a particular utility in combination with a deep-wellturbine pump. n

Ordinary turbine pumpsprovide a pump vunit positioned in a well, the impellers of which are driven by a line shaft extending upward to the surface of the ground. `The number of impellers necessary depends, for 0 one thing, upon the distance it is necessary for the pump to lift the well fluid, and in the .deeper installations it has been found advisable when using a large number ofzimpellers to utilize an intermediate bearing situated substantially midway between the upper and lower impellers. It is in this capacity that I will particularly describe my invention, though it should be clear that I am not limited to this use neither in so far as the turbine pump is concerned nor in so far asan intermediate bearing therein is concerned.

It is an object ofmy'invention to provide a bearing structure through which a stream of iiuid is permitted to pass, this fluid being filtered through a novel filtering means to'remove' therefrom any abrasive particles.

' A further object ofV my invention is todesign the fluid passage of a pump unit in such a manner that this flow of well fluid takes place through' the bearing in a given direction. l

This invention includes as one of its more detailed objects the provision of an upward r flow through the bearing, the velocity of this flow being suliiciently low so that anyforeign particles entrained -in the liquid will not be carried upward by'this flow, but will settle therefrom.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a.novel means of protecting the upper end of the bearing chamber from the entrance of grit or other `foreign particles which may be carried by thewell fluid.

Further objects of my invention will be made evident hereinafter.

: I Application led November 8V, 1929. Serial No. 405,624.

In the drawing,- Fig. 1 is a utility view of the turbine pump incorporating my invention in the intermediate bearingthereof.

. surrounds a discharge pipe 12 which extends downward from a pump head 13 at the surface of the' ground and supports a. pump unit 14 at the lower end thereof. This pump unit comprises upper and lower series of pump bowls`15 and 16 joined by an intermediate `bearing structure 17 the lower series supporting a lower bearing structure 18 and a suitable strainer-19 through which well fluid is drawn by means of a series of impellers mounted on aline shaft which i extends upward to the pump head 13 and` is `rotated by a suitable prime mover 20.

The constructional details of the invention are best illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein I have illustrated an upper bowl 24 including an impeller chamber in which an impeller 26 is adapted to rotate, this impeller being suitably secured tothe line shaft previously mentioned and designatedin Fig. 2 by the numeral 27. Similarly, Iv have illustrated a'lower pump bowlSO providing an impeller chamber 31 in which an impeller 32 similar to the impeller 26 is located, this impeller being also secured to the shaft 27 which passes downward through the intermediate bearing structure 17. I have illustrated this bearing structure as being threadedly secured to the upper and lower bowls 24 and 30, but any suitable means of connection may be used.

When the impellers are rotated well Huid is drawn upward Ythrough the impeller 32 and is 'forced through one or more bowl passages 84 formed between a shell 35 thereof and a dome member 36 supported by webs 37 in the usual manner. This fluid then rises through one or more fluid passages 40 formed through the bearing structure 17 and defined between a casing 4l thereof and a hub portion 42 supported t ierein as by webs 43. it this point the fluid is forced upward into the upper impeller Q6 and thus upward to tiiedischarge pipe l2 through which it rises to the surface of the ground.

The hub provides a bore! 45 which'is onlyfslightly larger in diameter. than the shaft-277V ne upper end of this hub .being counterbored to form a bearing chamber 46 in which is positioned-abearing 47 which is preferably of the sleeve type and which may be formed of anysuitable bearing jinaterial, such as babbitt or bronze, or which may be formed of a substance which is lubricated by the well fluid'being pumped -such as lignum-vitae. l

A` The upper end of the'bearing chamber is iilled with a packing49 on which -afpair of rings 50 rests. Secured tothe shaft above these'rings asfby afset screw 53V is a deflector 54 which provides a skirt 55 extending downward over a reduced diameter portion 56 of the hub 42 so as to provide a longitudinal channel57 therebetween. The lower end of the shirtl stops short of afshoulder 58 so as to provide an annular space 59 which is in communication with the HuidA passing through the iiuid passages 40.

Thelower end of the bore 45 is counterlbored as indicated by the numeral 60 so as to retain an insert member 6l. Through this member is bored a hole which is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter `of the sha-ft 27 so as to provide an opening 63 therebetween which communicates with the lower end of the bearing 47. The lower end of this opening communicates with the bowl passage 34 through an' annular passage 65 formed between the lower end of the insert member 6l and the upper end of the dome member This annular passage preferably extends radially outward from the aXis ofthe shaft7 and the width thereof is relatively small, beingintthe neighborhood AYof several taous'andths of an inch.

The fluid passages in the lower pump bowl 8O andI the bearing structure 17 are so Vdesigned that the pressure Vof the fluid therein at a poi t opposite the annular passage 'is larger thanthe iiuid pressure oppositenthe y annular opening 59. This may most easily suitably proportioning the cross-sectional areas of these passages so v L Y 1 C that the well fiuid opposite the annular paseffige- 65 is ijnovingslower than the well fluid passing theannular opening 59.v The lower end of the bearing chamber is thus subjected through'the annularv passage 65 and rising through the opening 63 and being discharged thiou'ghf the i longitudinal r passage 57 after passing adjacentthe journalling surfaces of the bearing 47 and the packing 49. The annulair passage 65 acts to strain the fwell-A fluid passingtherethrough so that substantially no abrasive particles can reach the bearing cham- Y ber 46 andthus destroy or injure the bearing surfaces. However7 even if abrasive particles have already passedtheannular passage 65,

vno harm would result for the packing 49 limits the flow through the bearing to such an extentthat thevelocityithereof isk too low4 to'carry the abrasive' particles upward'there with, these particles settling therefr0m and being thus prevented froinreaching the]oiirnalling surfaces. The deflector 54 acts-'t0 prevent the entranceinto the Abearing chamber@ 46 of any abrasive particles which may settle froinflthe well fluid rising through the fluid passages ethereabove, these particles -being thrown outward byr centrifugal force' when they come in contact with'the kperiphery ol.

this deector.

W'hile; I'have described the differential pressure as being set up ,by suitable design of the cross-sectional'areas of the ,fluidpassages, Vit should be clear thatA other means "for accomplishing this end may be utilized without departing lfrom the` spiritofuiny invention. Furthermore, while I have found an upwardflow to 'be' especially desirab1e,'it is within the scope of this invention to provide a differential pressureY whereby a downward ilowtakesplace through the bearing, this flow 'being suitably strained `ias'by the longitudinal passage 57 to remove therefrom all 4abrasive particles.V

Finally, it should be noted that the walls of the Aannular passage 65 are stationaryso that no material wear takes I'place which would tend to increase the width of 'thispassage and thus allow abrasive particles topass therethrough. v

I claimV as my invention:

l; In combination: a bearing construction providing a tapering fluid Ypassage therethrough so designed that the fluid pressure ata yprimary pointis higher than the fluid pressure at a secondarypoint therein; a

bearing mounted in said bearing construction, said bearing resting in a bearing chamber Cmmuhicating with said fluid passage at said primary and secondary points; a shaft journalled in said bearing; means 0peratively connected to said shaft for forcing fluid through said fluid passage, a small portion of said fluid passing through said bear-k ing; and means at said primary point for straining said small portion of said fluid before it reaches said bearing.

2. In combination: a bearing constructionA providing a tapering fluid passage vtherethrough so designed that the fluid pressure at a primary point is higher than the fluid pressure at a secondary point therein; a bearing mounted in said bearing construction, said bearing resting in abearing chamber communicating with said Huid passage at said primary and secondary points; a shaft journalled in said bearing; means operatively connected to said shaft for forcing fluid through said fluid passage, a small portion of said fiuid passing through said bearing; straining means at said primary point for straining said small portion of said fluid before it reaches said bearing; and means independent of said bearing and said straining means for limiting the flow of said fluid through said bearing.

3. In combination in an intermediate bearing for a deep-well turbine pump: a bearing structure providing a fluid passage and a bearing chamber; a bearing in said bearing chamber; a shaft journalled in said bearing and extending downward through an opening of said bearing structure only slightly larger in diameter than said shaft; a pump bowl secured below said bearing structure and cooperating therewith in defining an annular passage communicating between said opening and a fluid passage in said pump bowl; and an impeller rotated by said shaft and forcing well fluid upward through said fluid passages, said passages being designed to increase the pressure adjacent said annular passage to a value higherthan the ber, said annular passage being in the path of any fluid moving through said bearing chamber and being so narrow as to strain c In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California,'this 4th day of November, 1929.

' ARTHUR R.

pressure adjacent the upper end of said bearing chamber whereby a small amount of said well fluid is strained through said annular passage and passes upward through said bearing.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3 including a deflector secured to said shaft and extending downward around the upper portion of said bearing structure to define an annular space through which the well fluid is discharged from said bearing chamber.

5. A bearing construction comprising: a bearing structure providing a fluid passage and a bearing chamber spaced therefrom and communicating at opposite ends therewith; bearing means in said bearing chamber; a' shaft journalled by said bearing means; a member around said shaft and spaced close to said bearing structure to define an annular straining space opening on said Huid passage and communicating with said bearing cham- CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,872,538. August 16, 1932.

ARTHUR R. WEIS.

It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was erroneously issued to "Pacific Pump Works, and George E.Y Bigelow", as assignees of the entire interest ,in sad invention, whereas said patent should have been issued to the inventor s-aidg-Weis',v one half .to Pacific Pump Works, and onefourth to George E. Bigelow, l`all of Huntington Park, California, as assignees ,as shown by the records of `assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent shouid be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in. the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of November, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

